The Aaron Keating Medal

[Miguel Sanchez]

Premierships are funny things. Great players can go their entire careers without getting their hands on one, particularly if they play for St Kilda or Footscray. On the other hand, some players will be in the right place at the right time, jag a medal and then fade away into obscurity, destined to become the answer to a pub trivia question.

Aaron Keating is the poster child for such players. The Crows ruckman played in the 1997 grand final, just his third game at AFL level and just two weeks after playing for Norwood's ressies. He failed to gather a possession but still received a premiership medal as Adelaide won their first flag. Keating played three games the following season for a grand total of six before being delisted. His career stats read: 6 games, 26 possessions, 1 goal, 1 premiership.

A little-known fact is that the AFL commissioned a special medal in his honour, awarded each year to the premiership player that has the least notable career outside of that one day in September. On the eve of the 2014 grand final, this thread celebrates those players.

(To the inevitable responses of "You flog, they've achieved much more than you, what have you ever won you flog?" - congratulations, you've completely missed the point. Of course they've achieved more than me. They've also achieved more than Rob Harvey, Nathan Buckley, Scott West, Matthew Pavlich and Robbie Flower - the ultimate team success that every footy player aspires to. That's the point)

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2013 - Jonathan Simpkin (Hawthorn)

The former Geelong and Sydney rookie was called up for the 2013 decider after being best afield in Box Hill's VFL premiership the previous week. It was his 14th game with the Hawks, and 18th AFL game overall. He played one quarter of the granny after starting in the green vest,

Simpkin spent 2006 and 2007 on Sydney's list but didn't manage a game. He then played country footy for Colac before joining the Cats as a top-up player for their reserves side. He was added to the AFL squad as a mature age rookie in 2012 and played four games before being delisted, at which point Hawthorn signed him as a free agent.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2012 - Mitch Morton (Sydney)

Another journeyman, the 2012 grand final was Morton's fifth game for Sydney. After being traded from Richmond in a blockbuster deal for pick 79 (that the Tigers ended up not using anyway), Morton spent most of 2012 in the NEAFL as his teammates sent they didn't think they could trust him before finally getting picked for the second-last round of the season. To his credit, Morton kicked two important goals in the Swans' win.

Morton previously played 12 games for West Coast and 59 games for Richmond. He retired the season after his grand final triumph, having played 12 games for Sydney and a total of 83 games in nine years on an AFL list.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2011 - Trent West (Geelong)

The 2011 grand final was West's 20th game in six seasons on Geelong's list. The ruckman was preferred as Brad Ottens' backup late in the year after Nathan Vardy went down injured and performed reasonably in the role.

West added another 34 games in the next two seasons before being traded to Brisbane to back up Matt Leuenberger. He played 10 games for the Lions before wrecking his ACL midway through 2014.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2010 - Brent Macaffer (Collingwood)

A tough call as the Magpies premiership side had a strong 22. Macaffer was drafted in the 2007 rookie draft and spent two years with Collingwood's reserves before finally making his debut in 2009. He played most of the 2010 season as a medium-sized forward and the grand final and replay were his 25th and 26th AFL games.

Since then he has blown out an ACL, returned and reinvented himself as a tagger, and blown out his ACL again. Macaffer has added another 47 games for a total of 73 but is likely to miss the entire 2015 season.

 

[RIOLIUSTAR]

Sorry to butt in

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2009 - Mark Blake (Geelong)

Tap ruckman Mark Blake was unlucky to miss out on the 2007 flag when he played 22 games for the year only to be dropped in favour of former captain Steven King for the granny. He managed to hold his spot for both the 2008 and 2009 grand finals, winning a premiership medal in the latter.

Blake's career was over two years later when he was delisted after failing to play a senior game in 2011. In hindsight, Geelong probably regrets trading Shane Mumford and keeping Blake at the end of 2009. A father-son selection back in 2003, his own children won't be eligible under the father-son rule as he was cruelly delisted on 99 games.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2008 - Brent Renouf (Hawthorn)

Hawthorn's major selection dilemma in 2008 was for the backup ruck spot, with Renouf preferred ahead of Simon Taylor. In just his eighth game, Renouf managed just 5 possessions and 7 hitouts.

Renouf played another 46 games for the Hawks but became surplus to requirements in 2011 when Hawthorn acquired David Hale and Max Bailey found a brand of sticky tape that would actually hold his body together. He was traded to Port Adelaide, where in three seasons he has played 16 games and been delisted twice.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2007 - Nathan Ablett (Geelong)

The younger brother of possibly the greatest player of the modern era, and the younger son of possibly the other greatest player of the modern era, Ablett played at full forward in Geelong's history-making 2007 premiership side. It was his 32nd game for the Cats, and in the end his last game as he walked away from the AFL over the off-season to become a plumber.

Ablett bobbed up again in 2010 playing for Broadbeach in the QAFL, and joined brother Gaz on Gold Coast's list in 2011. In a side crying out for a mature forward target, he managed two games.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2006 - Steve Armstrong (West Coast)

The former Melbourne Demon survived the Bali bombings and four years on Melbourne's list before being drafted to West Coast's rookie list in 2006. Usually a midfielder, he became a small forward almost by default due to the absence of Phil Matera (retired) and Ashley Sampi (turtle addiction). The 2006 grand final was just his 10th game for West Coast, but he kicked a crucial late goal in the epic encounter.

Armstrong was delisted two years later, having played a total of 36 games for the Eagles and 43 for the Demons.

 

[STP18]

Divvy this shit and OP is a looney tune.

 

[STP18]

Sorry to butt in

No surprise to see you in this here shit thread Russell.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2005 - Paul Bevan (Sydney)

Even tougher than 2010 as the Swans had a settled lineup with no real weak links at all. Paul Bevan played 129 games for Sydney after being rookie drafted. He was delisted at the end of 2011 and moved to WAFL club Perth.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2004 - Josh Mahoney (Port Adelaide)

Tough nut Mahoney played 19 games for Collingwood and 11 for Western Bulldogs before being delisted at the end of 2000. He then spent three years in the wilderness (well, Bendigo) before Port Adelaide recruited him ahead of the 2004 season. Mahoney was an important addition to the forward line in the 2004 premiership side.

Mahoney retired at the end of 2007 having played 67 games for the Power.

 

[RIOLIUSTAR]

No surprise to see you in this here shit thread Russell.

STFU Robert and let the man speak FFS

 

[STP18]

This guy has completely lost the plot. Wonder how far back he's going to go before he realises no one gives a single ****.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

2003 - Richard Hadley (Brisbane)

By 2003 grand finals were old hat for many of his teammates, but for Hadley it was just his fourth game. He played a total of 41 games for the Lions, his cause not helped by knee injuries that wrote him off for all of 2005 and 2006. At the end of 2007 he requested a trade to Carlton. Brisbane were reportedly pissed off that he left after they had stood by him but they needn't have worried, Hadley played just 25 games in three seasons for Carlton before retiring due to continual injuries.

 

[STP18]

STFU Robert and let the man speak FFS

I didn't mean to interrupt Russell but it just seemed like the OP was doing the majority of the posting.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

This guy has completely lost the plot.

Never had it to begin with

 

[Purple Suit]

2006 - Steve Armstrong (West Coast)

The former Melbourne Demon survived the Bali bombings and four years on Melbourne's list before being drafted to West Coast's rookie list in 2006. Usually a midfielder, he became a small forward almost by default due to the absence of Phil Matera (retired) and Ashley Sampi (turtle addiction). The 2006 grand final was just his 10th game for West Coast, but he kicked a crucial late goal in the epic encounter.

Armstrong was delisted two years later, having played a total of 36 games for the Eagles and 43 for the Demons.

Should be Butler. Only one left on the list and still the shitest player out of your whole team in 06.

Ok, maybe second behind Hansen.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Hooray, someone actually posted regarding the thread topic!

Should be Butler. Only one left on the list and still the shitest player out of your whole team in 06.

Ok, maybe second behind Hansen.

We've still got Waters too. Butts was a decent mid when he could get on the park, and has reinvented himself as a decent small back.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Cameron Mooney in 1999.

Quite literally did **** all.

 

[RIOLIUSTAR]

Hooray, someone actually posted regarding the thread topic!

To be fair I didn't realise you needed help or input

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Cameron Mooney in 1999.

Quite literally did **** all.

"awarded each year to the premiership player that has the least notable career outside of that one day in September"

Did **** all for the Roos but had a pretty decent career after that.

After the raging success of this thread I'll do the Leon Davis Medal next, Mooney will be a lay down misere for 1999

 

[RIOLIUSTAR]

I didn't mean to interrupt Russell but it just seemed like the OP was doing the majority of the posting.

Well yes Robert but now you've ruined it and will probably be in the divvy before too long